


Beneath the Waves

by DavidtheWriter (DavidtheTraveler)



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Bigotry & Prejudice, Fantastic Racism, Gen, Homophobia, See the Beginning Notes for Chapter Specific Triggers and Squicks, See the End Notes for External References
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 08:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19081285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavidtheTraveler/pseuds/DavidtheWriter
Summary: Beneath the crashing waves of the sea lies a vast world teaming with extraordinary life.  But like all lives, not everything is better down where it’s wetter.  For four mers in particular, life under the sea is anything but easy.  Prejudice, tragedy, and general disrespect are as much a part of life for them as breathing.  But perhaps together, they can find a way to show their aquatic world the truth.  And maybe even save it along the way.Disclaimer:This story is written with the express permission of RandomSlasher (LJ).  While it is inspired by their original Mer AU, and borrows certain recognizable elements from it, it is in no way, shape, or form reflective of their story’s canon and represents its own separate literary world.





	Beneath the Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings:  
> -Graphic Depictions of Violence  
> -Description of Injuries  
> -Blood  
> -Minor Character Death  
> -Child Abandonment  
> -Homophobia  
> -Fantastic Racism

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The soft sounds of a bell being lightly struck woke Patton. He reached over to turn off his alarm clock before stretching himself out on his bed, sighing wistfully. He’d had a very nice dream about a cute boy last night, and a part of him wanted so much to go back to it. But the responsibilities of the day called to him, and he knew he needed to get going.

He sat up and reached over to grab his spectacles, putting them on and pulling the straps tight enough to keep them from floating away. Blinking his vision into focus, he began to go over all the errands he needed to run today, repeating them to himself as he cleansed himself.

“Go to Larry’s, stop at the market, go back to the wreck. Go to Larry’s, stop at the market, go back to the wreck….”

It was an odd sort of morning ritual, perhaps, but it helped him to remember what he needed to do.

After a quick breakfast, he grabbed his satchel and loaded it with the stuff he’d need for his errands and made his way out of his cave home and toward the village. Today was feeling like a pretty good day, and Patton couldn’t help but hum to himself as he made his way into town, stopping to say hi to everyone he met along the way.

Most called back a hello or at least waved back at him. A few just ignored him, and one or two would glare at him as he called out to them, such as the local selmachor guards. But for the most part everything was fine. And soon enough, he had arrived at Larry and Dot’s office near the center of the village.

“Good morning, Mr. Larry!” he called as he entered.

Larry turned around behind the counter with a resigned sigh. “Patton, how many times have I told you to just call me Larry? You’re an adult now. You don’t have to address me so formally anymore.”

“Sorry. I keep forgetting. Old habits are hard to break, you know.”

Larry let out a chuckle as he made his way over. “So, have you got anything interesting for me today, Pat?”

“Do I ever!” He quickly reached into his satchel, rummaging for some of the trinkets he’d collected the day before. “I found a new wreck over by the gorge. Massive metal behemoth. And it was surrounded by all these weird metal boxes full of all sorts of stuff. A lot of it seemed kind of dangerous, and there were a few boxes that smelled really funny and that I didn’t want to go near. But in one of them, I found these.”

He dropped a handful of objects onto the counter. At first glance, they could have been mistaken for some kind of spectacles. But the lenses and frames were made of a strange material that was softer to the touch and less easily broken. And the design was much thinner and more delicate, proving they’d been made without considering the dangers of underwater life.

“Oh, fascinating.” Larry picked up one to examine it, marveling at its construction. “It’s such a strange use of material and form. I mean, they’re obviously meant for use in correcting poor vision.” He subconsciously adjusted his own pair of spectacles. “But they clearly weren’t meant for mer use.”

“So, do you think this might prove your theory?” Patton exclaimed, wiggling in excitement.

Larry set the pair back down. “It doesn’t prove it definitively, but it’s definitely more evidence to support it.”

Patton whooped and rolled through the water in excitement. Larry chuckled as he began to gather up the offered artifacts.

“What’s got you so excited? I just said it’s not definitive proof.”

“Yeah, but it’ll probably help when you present your theory to the university board at your presentation in a few months.”

Larry grinned. “Yes, I do believe it will. But, I’ve still got to gather up more evidence before I do that. In the meantime, I’ll let the team know there’s a new site to start combing through.”

Larry placed the artifacts below the counter before pulling out a large flat slab of hardened clay and a small chisel. “Can you mark it on the map so they can find it later?”

Patton gladly chiseled out an x on the map near a large indentation representing the gorge. Larry chiseled a few notes next to it for reference before placing it behind him and pulling up a few bags of shells.

“And here’s your payment.”

“Gee, Larry, that seems like an awful lot of shells just for a few odd spectacles.”

“That’s also your finder’s fee. No one else has recorded a wreck like that in that area. That means you discovered it, and not only get a special fee for turning it into the research team, but also have sole access to the site for the first three days after discovery.”

Patton gasped. “Really? I can go collect as much as I want without worrying about having to contend with anyone else for it?”

“Well, we do ask that you try to keep your pickings to a minimum. But I know you, Patton, and I know you’re very careful about leaving plenty for the research teams to comb through. Besides, you’ve earned it.”

Patton blushed. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”

Larry reached over the counter to grasp his shoulder. “Well, I do. You’ve always been kind and generous to others. And I know what you use all that stuff for. You’ve got to make a living, just like the rest of us. And you’ve done quite well for yourself.”

“I’m not sure I’d say it that way.”

“I would.”

Patton looked up at Larry, a soft smile on his face. “Thank you.”

Larry smiled back. “No problem, kid.”

Larry pulled his hand away as Patton picked up his satchel. “Well, I’ve got to get going. I have to pick up some stuff from the market before I head back out. Say hi to Dot for me, will you?”

“Will do. And don’t worry if you see anyone out by the site later. That should just be the team cordoning off the area.”

Patton nodded as he began to swim toward the entryway. “Got it! Bye, Mr. Larry! Err, sorry, Larry!”

Larry just smirked as he disappeared through the entrance. “Bye, Patton. Have a good day.”

Patton completed the rest of his errands in town with a bounce in his strokes. Thanks to this generous payment from Larry, he would be set for the next month. That left plenty of time for him to complete his newest creations and get them ready for sale.

Patton had never been a bad student in school, and Larry, as his former teacher, could attest to his intelligence. But he had never been a particularly focused student, finding no real interest in the way things were generally taught. He preferred working with his hands and feeling things out as he went along, rather than taking notes and following strict instructions that were never explained.

Of course, he would never try to upset a teacher by suggesting they were teaching it wrong, but he had to admit that their hands-off purely theoretical approach to things like math and chemistry and physics never captured his attention.

It was only Larry, who had worked as his history teacher when he was an adolescent, who managed to keep his focus on the subject at hand. He’d done so by painting the old history lessons as a story, and if there was one thing Patton loved above almost anything else, it was a good story. It these lessons, and their many conversations about both historical and current mer species politics, that had forged their friendship.

And that friendship had continued to this day, even after Larry had quit his job at the school to pursue his research and Patton had graduated. In fact, it was Larry who had encouraged Patton to pursue his passion in creation and discovery, providing him a part time job with his research team searching for artifact sites to support his more artistic pursuits.

Patton had always enjoyed creating things with his hands, whether little gadgets that were mildly useful, or just pure bursts of artistic expression. And while he had dabbled in all the standard artistic mediums, he’d never felt quite satisfied with his work. Until, that is, he found his first wreck.

In truth, it wasn’t really his, as most of the older mers had some knowledge of it, some even being brave enough to explore it. And much of what had once been contained within had either been lost over time or plundered by the previous visitors. But there had still been a few interesting trinkets inside for Patton to take.

With these artifacts, Patton felt for the first time like he had found something he could really work with to his fullest extent. The strange materials and composition just felt right in his hands as he molded and shaped them to his desire, using the small bit of magic his mother had taught him when he was a child to do so. And the rewards were greater than he could have ever imagined.

The little gadgets and toys he made became great entertainment for the village’s children, who would race to see them when he occasionally set up a stall at the market to sell his creations. Some of the artifacts he left unaltered, offering them to curious folks who liked to collect them and show them off to company. And there were more than a few families in the village who had purchased an art piece from him, both for their artistic merit as well as a means to repay him for his kindness.

For if there was one commodity Patton was a great source of, it was kindness. He never had a bad word for anyone, was always willing to help, and had a knack for knowing just what someone in a less than fine mood needed to feel better. Sure, he was still seen as a rather eccentric young man, but one with a heart of gold and not a single malicious bone in his body.

Larry of course was just as intrigued as the others in the village by Patton’s creations. But upon learning where he’d gotten them from, he realized there was another way he could help Patton make a living besides purchasing his wares. He convinced Patton to become a scout for his team, scouring the ever changing plains around the village for new and undiscovered wrecks for his team to study and search for artifacts like the ones Patton had found.

And so for three years Patton had done just that: collecting artifacts, making trinkets and arts to sell, and exploring for Larry. And while he was never quite as financially secure as most would have preferred to be, he had managed to make it by so far. He had certainly managed to always have enough to keep himself fed and to occasionally buy something interesting from the market just because.

Soon enough, Patton had finished with his errands and made his way back to his home on the outskirts of town. The cave he called home had at one time just been his private refuge, a place he could go to get away from the teasing bullies at school and the pitying stares from the adults in the village. But he had since turned it into his own private abode, complete with workshop for his projects and plenty of storage for his materials and his own personal collection of artifacts.

After quickly putting away his shells and emptying out his satchel, he grabbed a few kelp cakes from his stores and made his way out to the gorge to visit the wreck site. Sure enough, it came into view just as the slope of the ocean floor began to take a slight downward turn, heading for the drop.

The massive metal monstrosity was breathtaking in a way. It was easily as big as the village proper, and the scattered remains of its former contents were strewn about it in an area easily three times its size. Patton suddenly found himself grateful to have enough time to scour it completely before Larry’s team took it over.

But just as he was approaching the site, Patton could hear strange noises coming from the gorge. His curiosity winning out, he made his way over to the edge. He slowly swam up to the cliff edge, being careful not to be seen peeking over it. When without warning two long, scaly bodies surged up from within it.

Patton yelped and darted behind an outcropping of sea fans, peeking out from behind it once he was safely hidden.

Two angilfs were locked in combat. It wasn’t unusual to hear about fights between them. The eel-tailed mers were notoriously territorial, and only seemed to tolerate the presence of others of their race during the mating season. But no angilfs had ever chosen the gorge as a territory. It was too narrow and shallow to serve as a decent hunting ground. And most of the region around it was occupied by the great kelp forests the local mer village farmed for food, rather than the open waters they thrived in.

To see two of them fighting here was strange. But Patton knew better than to try and find out the reason behind their fight. If there was one thing everyone said about angilfs that Patton did agree with, it was that you never got involved in a fight between them. Their instincts would kick in and force them to fight to the death if they felt it necessary.

Patton continued to watch as the larger yellow one, clearly a male, continued to attack the smaller blue one, which appeared to be female. She was doing her best to defend against his strikes and slashes, but was also slowly moving further and further away from the gorge, as if trying to find a way to escape into open waters. But the male apparently wouldn’t allow it, continuing to slash at her.

Suddenly, he pulled back from her, and she tried to flee, but his tail slammed into her, knocking her back before he slashed up her torso with his clawed hands, causing blood to cloud the water around her. Another slash, and soon Patton couldn’t even make her out behind the red. Slash after slash, he continued to strike at her. Finally, he stopped, and she began to fall out from beneath the cloud of red, streams continuing to flow out of her mangled form as she descended to the ocean floor on the other side of the gorge.

The larger angilf watched as her body landed, stirring up the sediment in billowing clouds. He then turned, scanning the area, and Patton ducked behind the fans again. When nothing happened for a moment, he peeked out again, only to see the yellow scaled tail disappearing into the distance.

Patton carefully looked around. No one else was around, angilf or otherwise. Cautiously, he swam over to the fallen figure, grimacing at her extensive injuries.

By the time he’d gotten to her, she was already dead. Her chest was still, and her eyes and mouth were hanging half open. He solemnly reached out to close them. He sat with her for a moment in near silence, a prayer of mourning and death whispered to the currents for her. Then he swam up and began to puzzle over the gorge.

What could have caused them to fight like that? It clearly hadn’t been for territory, or he would have backed off when she tried to flee. Could they have had an argument that escalated into violence? But then, why would they have been arguing in the first place? Mating season had ended months ago, and the males almost never stayed with the females after mating. The only pairs to remain together were those that had developed a truly strong bond between them. The fight proved that could not have been the case with these two. So what could have caused-

The sound of falling stones pulled Patton from his musings. He looked down just in time to see a smattering of them tumbling from a ledge about halfway down the cliff face. But it wasn’t the rocks that drew his attention, but rather the quick glimpse of a thin purple tail disappearing into a crack in the wall.

Patton froze for a moment. His survival instincts were telling him that no good could come from whatever might be down there, urging him to get back to safety. But his paternal instincts were too strong to ignore. He couldn’t leave without knowing whatever—no, whoever—was down there was alright.

He allowed himself to sink down slowly into the gorge, watching as the walls moved up past him and the tiny ledge came closer. Soon enough, he was close enough to make out the tiny crack in the wall. If he hadn’t heard the rocks fall or seen the tail, he never would have even known it was here.

Holding himself eye level with the crack, he carefully looked inside. It was about as deep as he was long, so it was hard to make anything out. But he could just make out a small silhouette against the back wall, as well as hear faint sniffling coming from within.

“Oh no,” he whispered to himself, the pieces falling into place in his mind. “So that’s what she was trying to do.”

Patton carefully set his satchel down, hanging off the ledge, before slowly swimming up to the crack’s opening.

“Hey, hey there. Are you okay?”

The figure shifted, trying to scoot further back into the crack.

“No, no, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” Patton reached behind him, feeling for the satchel. Once he’d found it, he rummaged inside for one of the kelp cakes, keeping his eyes on the small figure inside. Once he had one, he carefully held it out for the figure. “Here, this is for you.”

The figure just stared, their breathing haggard and their form visibly trembling even in the dark. But eventually, after several minutes of staring back and forth, the figure slowly started to inch forward.

It still took several moments for the figure to make it close enough to take the cake from Patton. But he kept himself as still as possible, unwilling to do anything to startle the poor thing. Finally, the little one was close enough to grab the cake, and did so before quickly swimming back in, but not before Patton had gotten a decent enough look at them.

The tiny angilf had a brilliant purple tail, and a purplish tinge to their skin to match. Their small body was soft and squishy, unusual in angilfs more than a couple cycles old. Which meant this child was still an infant, and still dependent on their parent to care for them.

Patton’s heart broke again at this realization. This poor child, left without anyone to care for them, all because someone had felt the need to kill their mother. Patton was not one to be prone to anger, but in that moment there was no one he hated more than that yellow tailed monster.

But such anger would never convince this small child to come with him to safety and shelter. So he did his best to suppress those emotions for another time, returning to the calm demeanor he’d used before just as the child had finished eating the cake.

The child continued to linger in the back of the crack, but their form was no longer shivering in fear. In fact, they seemed to be inching closer to Patton, perhaps out of curiosity, or maybe just because they felt that someone who had not hurt them when they could have and had offered food could be trusted. Either way, the child was soon near enough to the entrance for Patton to see their shining purple eyes narrowed in caution as they studied him.

“Hey there, little guy. Or girl. Or, whatever you might be. I guess you kind of look like a boy, but…well, I guess that’s technically up to you. But then you’re probably not old enough to really make that decision yet, are you?”

Patton laughed nervously at his babbling. The child continued to stare, but his looks had softened from fearful concern to cautious curiosity. Patton took that as a good sign.

“You know, this is a pretty nice little cave you’ve got here, but there really isn’t a lot of food for you around this place. I could…take you somewhere that not only would have plenty of food for you, but would also be a safe place for you to stay.”

Patton wasn’t sure if the child could even understand him, as not only were they quite young, but eel-mers had their own language that was…quite different from standard mermish. Yet the child seemed to understand at least the spirit of what Patton was saying, if not the actual words. They continued to slowly shift forward, coming closer and closer to Patton’s reach.

“So, what do you think? Do you want to come with me, kiddo?”

Patton held his arms out. They were close enough now that he could grab the child if he wanted to. But he simply held them there, showing the child that this was their decision. Moments passed. Neither moved. Then the child shot forward, latching onto Patton’s neck with a grip that would have choked him had they been much bigger.

Patton slowly closed his arms around the trembling child, allowing them plenty of room to flee if they so desired. But they stayed latched on, unwilling to let go, as Patton grabbed his satchel and began the slow trek back up the cliff face and across the plains.

The child continued to sniffle and shiver in his arms, despite Patton’s comforting pressure. For a moment, he wasn’t sure what to do. But then the memory of what his father would do when he felt like this came to mind. His father’s voice had always been soothing, and it was the one comparison between him and himself that Patton never hated. So he cleared his throat and began to sing to the child.

_“Come stop your crying,_  
_It’ll be alright._  
_Just take my hand,_  
_Hold it tight._

_“I will protect you_  
_From all around you._  
_I will be here,_  
_Don’t you cry.”_

The child had lifted their head in surprise at the song. It looked like it had never heard such sounds being made. But the slight curl of their mouth seemed to suggest they had liked it. So Patton continued.

_“For one so small,_  
_You seem so strong._  
_My arms will hold you,_  
_Keep you safe and warm._

_“This bond between us_  
_Can’t be broken._  
_I will be here,_  
_Don’t you cry.”_

As Patton had continued, the child’s mouth had twisted into an almost smile before they leaned their head against Patton’s chest. Patton’s heart, already so soft at the child’s embrace, finally completely melted at the sight. He knew there was no way he could ever give up this child for anything. And he resolved to do his best to keep his promise: to always be there for them and keep them safe.

And so he smiled to himself in parental contentment as they finally came to his cave.

 _Our cave_ , Patton corrected himself joyfully.

 

***********************

 

Usually Logan was able to go about his business at the local market in peace, unbothered by the whispering that almost always followed him. But the tone of said whispering had definitely shifted in recent days. In fact, Logan would insist that it had turned into muttering at this point. Which of course meant only one thing: it was time to move on.

Logan internally cringed as he passed another group of mutterers, their tails twitching in obvious agitation. He willed his tentacles to push himself forward steadily, trying his best not to let his discomfort or trepidation show. The last thing these bigots needed was the satisfaction of getting under his skin. And Logan would never let such small-minded beings have anything of the sort.

Luckily, he had only one more stop to make before he could return to the cave he’d been residing in at the edge of the village and finish packing for the journey to the next village.

If he were to be truthful with himself, he might admit that it was unlikely that things would be much better at the next village. Ever since leaving the commune, he’d moved from village to village, always making sure to leave before the locals decided he’d overstayed his welcome. No village had lasted more than a few moons before the level of animosity reached a critical juncture.

Logic would suggest that he return to the commune, to his fellow cecaelians, where he could live and study in peace in the twilight of the deeper oceans. But being amongst the mers of the shallower seas had always been his dream: learning about their history and knowledge, perhaps even befriending them and becoming a part of their community....

Logan shook his head and mentally scolded himself for allowing his ruminations and personal desires to take command of his mental focus. He needed to complete his errands, and indulging in his fantasies would only delay his return to the cave.

Finally reaching the last stall in the market, he placed himself a reasonable distance behind the couple currently conversing with the owner to wait for his turn.

“…and I just can’t believe that the king is letting him get away with it,” the woman was saying. “I mean, a crown prince with no chance of producing a viable heir? He might as well declare him unfit and pick one of his cousins to be the next king.”

“Carol, there are rules about these things,” the man interjected. “Such a move would require the approval of the Assembly. He can’t just disown his own son. Even if he is… _gay_.”

Logan stiffened behind them, but tried his best to maintain his composure.

The way the man had said the word, it was clearly meant as an insult. And while mer society had progressed quite a bit in recent cycles, there were still plenty like this couple stuck in the old intolerant mindset. Logan detested having to deal with such people.

“All I’m saying is that the king has a responsibility to the good of the kingdom. And a king without an heir would create…discontinuity for the kingdom. It would just end up being a big mess for everyone involved.”

“I agree. But the law is clear. There is a defined process that must be followed if the prince is to be removed from the line of succession. Our best hope is the Assembly invokes their power to do so.”

“Well then, they should. I’m going to write our representative and complain about this as soon as we get home. And now that I think about it, there’s a few other things I think the Assembly could do to fix things around the kingdom.”

The couple had finished their business and turned around to move away, glaring in disgust when they noticed Logan behind them.

“Like that,” the woman whispered, yet still loud enough for Logan to hear. He continued to float where he was as they moved off. Finally, once they were gone, he allowed himself to breathe again and moved up to the stall.

“Sorry about that,” the stall owner apologized, his dark golden tail twitching behind him. “I know that probably hurt to hear. I tried to get them done faster, but…”

“It’s alright, Dominic,” Logan mumbled back. “It’s not your fault. I’ll need my regular order, please.”

Dominic frowned as he began to gather the items. “I still don’t like to hear that kind of talk. It disgusts me to think that there are still people like that in this day and age.”

“Unfortunately, there is little we can do about them. We can only try to keep ourselves safe. Which, I’m afraid means that this will be my last visit to you.”

“What?!” Dominic almost dropped the bag of items in shock. “But you were just really starting to get settled!”

“Yes. But I’m afraid the tension in the village concerning my presence is escalating, and I have learned from experience that such an occurrence is the sign that I must be moving on. I will be departing in the next few days.”

“Well, can Kenny and I at least give you a going away party?”

Logan hesitated before responding. “While such a gesture would be most appreciated, it’s perhaps best that the rest of the village not know that I am departing, lest they decide to act on their hostilities before I do so.”

Dominic sighed in concession. “Fair enough, I guess.” He put on a hopeful look as he handed the bag over. “But, just promise that you’ll keep in touch, okay?”

Logan offered a small smile, pulling out a few shells to pay. “I will at least promise that I will endeavor to try.”

Dominic smirked back as he took the shells. “That’s all anyone can do.”

The two shared a look, an unspoken word of friendship passing between them as they stood there. Finally Logan broke it as he turned to leave, putting on his impassive façade once more as he headed toward the village outskirts.

Logan allowed himself to slow down after leaving the village proper, taking his time to think as he returned to his cave. He had enjoyed this village. A few of the mers here, like Dominic and Kenny, had actually accepted him. He almost felt like he could call them his…friends. But despite such things, he could not risk his own well-being just for the sake of a few cordial acquaintances. No matter how much moving on might hurt emotionally, staying here was not a safe choice.

With that somber thought, he continued on to his cave to finalize his departure.

But as he approached his abode, his thoughts of organizing and packing his belongings were forced away by the sound of another’s presence inside. Pausing long enough to leave his parcels outside, he slinked toward the entrance, hoping to see who or what had invaded his home without alerting them.

A small mer, perhaps only a few years old, was waist deep in one of his food stores, loudly shoveling food into their mouth from the sound of it.

Logan took pause at the intruder’s age, wondering what such a small child would be doing by themself this far from the village at this time of day. Carefully thinking how to best approach them, he crept forward so as to better examine the child.

Because of the angle and the child’s position, he couldn’t see their head, torso, or arms. But the condition of their tail was more than enough to suggest that the child had seen some rough days. Their scarlet scales were grimy and dull, with obvious patches where they must have been scraped off. Their gold-tipped fins were coated in a thin layer of gunk, and Logan could see the signs of parasitic infestation along their edges.

Finally deciding to reveal himself, Logan drew himself to his full height and addressed the child.

“Would you be so kind as to explain what you are doing in my home, young one?” His tone was firm, but he spoke softly, in hopes that while the child would obey they would not be too startled.

The child froze, caught. They slowly turned around, moving out of the food store and into full view. Logan just barely managed to maintain his composure at the sight.

The child’s upper body was just as bad as their tail, if not worse. Their arms and torso were covered in scratches and bruises. Their hands looked raw and worn. Even their face had a few cuts, and their hair was grimy and matted in places.

The two stared at each other. Logan was trying his best to maintain his unemotive façade, but the idea of what this child had been through was breaking his heart and stirring him to anger all at once. As for the child, he could only assume that his appearance, both in terms of sudden arrival and his general form, had shocked the child into a catatonic fear state. Realizing this, he made up his mind as to what to do.

Moving slowly, he allowed himself to sink to the floor of the cave, his tentacles tucked beneath and behind him to make himself seem smaller. He then slowly began to move forward, noting every move the child made in reaction as he addressed them again.

“I apologize for startling you. You have nothing to fear from me. But I believe it would be in both our best interests if you could please explain what it is you are doing here.”

The child had edged slightly back into the store, but they had made no attempt to flee or to become violent, and Logan took that as a good sign.

“I can see that you are injured and in need of some food and grooming. I can provide those for you. Here.”

Logan carefully pulled one of his tentacles out from beneath himself, stretching it toward another store. Carefully, it reached inside and fetched a kelp cake from within. Then, with gentle speed, it came over and offered it to the child.

The child flinched back as the tentacle approached, but when it stopped just close enough for the child to reach, they slowly inched closer before grabbing the cake and moving back into the store to eat it, nibbling on it as they watched the tentacle retreat beneath Logan again.

The child continued to stare at Logan as they ate the cake. And once it was gone, they slowly moved out of the store. For a moment, the two simply floated there, staring. Finally, the child spoke.

“Youw a sea witch.”

Inside, Logan was groaning. _Always with the sea witch_ , he grumbled to himself. But kept his face calm. _After all_ , he reasoned, _they’re just a child. They may not know any better._

“Actually, we prefer to be known as Cecaelians.”

The child tilted his head and squinted his eyes in confusion.

“Ce…cecaewians?”

“Suh-SAE-lee-uhns. And yes. It is the proper term for octopus-mers.”

The child seemed to accept this, but still looked confused. “So, you don’t have magic?”

“Well, that would be an incorrect assumption.”

“So, you do have magic.”

“That would be correct.” Logan was starting to worry about where this child was going with this.

“So, you _are_ a sea witch.”

Logan audibly sighed. “It is generally impolite to refer to someone like me as a sea witch.”

“But,” the child continued, his tiny jaw set in defiance, “a witch is someone who can do magic. And-and you said you can do magic. So youw a sea witch.” They lifted their chin and smirked, proud of having proven their point logically.

Logan couldn’t help but feel slightly proud of the child for their reasoning, even if their premise was fundamentally flawed. Nevertheless, even from the mouth of such a young child the old slur still hurt.

“By that reasoning, you would be correct,” Logan conceded. “But I’m afraid that particular term for people like me is often used to refer to us in an unkind manner. I would appreciate it if you didn’t use it to refer to me.”

The child’s eyes widened. “I’m sowry. I didn’t know. Can you pwease fowgive me?” They started to curl in on themself.

Logan’s resolve was starting to crumble. He gently floated forward, extending his hand towards them. When they didn’t flinch away, he gently took hold of their shoulder.

“It’s alright. You didn’t know, and that’s okay. But you do know now, so I hope that you’ll remember that in future.”

The child nodded their head enthusiastically, almost all traces of fear gone from their features.

“Might I ascertain what your name and preferred pronouns are?”

The child looked confused again. “Pwonouns?”

“Pronouns, the gender terms that you use to refer to yourself.”

The child still looked confused. Logan paused a moment to think how best to ask them such a complicated question.

“Let me put it like this. Are you a boy, a girl, or something outside of the traditional gender binary?”

The child didn’t seem to understand what the last part meant, but he cautiously replied, “I’m a boy.”

Logan nodded. “Very well then. Can I have your name please?”

The boy hesitated. “W-wroman.”

“Woman?”

“No. Wroman. Ar-Oh-Em-A-En. Wroman.”

“Oh, Roman. My apologies. You can call me Logan.”

“W-wogan.” Roman mouthed the named a few times, trying it out. Logan watched him working out the syllables, a strange feeling building in his chest at the sight. He allowed himself to relax, letting his tentacles stretch out more naturally. Roman noticed this and watched them curling and unfolding along the floor.

“Can you contwol them?” he suddenly asked.

Logan frowned, puzzled at the sudden inquiry. “Yes, I can control them. You’ve already seen me do so.”

“But-but, can you contwol all of them at once?” Roman’s eyes were alight with curiosity, and that strange feeling in Logan’s chest intensified.

“I am able to have each of them perform separate tasks at the same time, yes. But, Roman,” Logan addressed him, trying to draw his attention back to the more pressing concern, “might I ask what you were doing in my cave?”

Roman looked down in guilt. “I’m sowry for in..intwuding. But…I was hungry.”

“Roman, may I ask how long it’s been since you’ve eaten last?”

He hesitated before answering. “A…a couple of days.”

Logan’s worry, already heightened at the boy’s condition, spiked ever higher.

“Roman, where are your parents? Why haven’t they been taking care of you?”

Roman’s eyes began to fill with tears, and Logan immediately regretted asking him the question.

“I…I don’t know. I don’t know where they awe.”

Logan gently grasped his other shoulder, pulling him closer in comfort.

“Can you tell me when and where you last saw them?”

Roman sniffled. “I’m…I’m not sure. We were twaveling between viwwages. They said…they said we were going somewhere…safer, I think. But then-then they got scawed, and they-they told me to hide, and that they’d co-come back for me. B-but they…never…did!”

Roman’s eyes had grown wetter and his voice more choked as he explained. At the last word, he curled himself into Logan’s chest, sobbing. Logan was startled for a moment. But he couldn’t help but wrap his arms around the child, holding him close and fast as his flowing tears dissipated into the water around them.

In time, Logan would coax the boy into letting go so that he could prepare a proper meal for him, the child groaning at times as Logan lectured about proper nutritional habits, but still being polite as he served him his food.

And afterwards he would go about cleaning the child up and healing his injuries, spurring curious questions as he applied his healing salves to the boy’s cuts, scrapes, and bruises, and earning amazed gawks intermixed with disgruntled mumbles as he cleaned him off with all ten of his limbs.

And eventually, as the seas darkened with the coming of night, the two would curl up together on his bed, Roman nestled to his chest, finally looking peaceful and content as Logan held him in his arms, watching over him until he too fell into slumber.

But for now, they stayed like this as Roman continued to wail for his lost parents. Logan too shed a few tears, his heart breaking for this poor precious child. And all too soon, he realized that this little thief had stolen something far more precious than any food.

For this small child, in the span of a few moments, had managed to do what no one else had ever done to Logan: he’d stolen his heart.

And Logan, to his own surprise, was perfectly fine with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angilfs - Unofficial species name for Eel-mers (from Anguilliformes, the scientific name for eels)  
> Selmachors - Unofficial species name for Shark-mers (from Selachimorpha, the scientific name for sharks)
> 
> Well, here it is. The first chapter of another work in progress for me to try and get done. I'm just gonna go ahead and put this out there: I have no idea when I'm going to be continuing this, and I don't want to try and give myself a deadline because that just makes it even less likely that I'll actually meet it. (The fact that I wanted to have this done by the end of May so I could say it tied into Mer-May should be testament to that fact.) So let's just say that I'll have the next chapter up when I manage to get myself motivated enough to get it done.
> 
> Speaking of motivation, you are not at all required to leave any sort of feedback if you don't want to. That being said, I do tend to be more motivated to work on a story if I see people reading and enjoying it. So while it's not required, comments, kudos, and the like are very much appreciated and help to motivate me to work on my writing.
> 
> Also, for those of you who might be a little confused by the disclaimer (What is this, Fanfiction.net in the early 2000's?), that was part of the deal that LJ and I worked out for them to allow me to post this story. It was "inspired by" their original mer AU (if by inspired you mean borrowing the basic setup and making your own story out of it), but does not in any way, shape, or form reflect on their story's canon or plot. Each story is its own separate literary universe.
> 
> That being said, I would like to thank LJ both for inspiring me to write this story and giving me their explicit permission to do so. They truly are an amazing and amazingly talented person, and I wish them all the best.
> 
> Also, I'd like to give a shout out to OreoKitKat for helping me with the species names of the other mer types and for reading over this chapter before I posted it. Love you so much, Kit.
> 
> So, I guess that's it for now. I'll try to see about getting more for this or one of my other stories up soon. In the meantime, if you'd like, you can also find me on Tumblr under the same name. And if you're interested, let me know if you'd like to be tagged on there for any updates to this story, or just for story updates in general.
> 
> In any case, thank you for your patronage and I hope you enjoyed it.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Disclaimer:** This story is written with the express permission of RandomSlasher (LJ). While it is inspired by their original Mer AU, and borrows certain recognizable elements from it, it is in no way, shape, or form reflective of their story’s canon and represents its own separate literary world.


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